Ice-breaker



T. FIRME.

ICE BREAKER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. r. 1918.

1,316,1 50. Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

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ICE BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1. 1918.

1,316,150. PatentedSept.16,1919.

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ICE-BREAKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Sept. 16, 1919;

Application filed September 7, 1918. Serial No, 253,118.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be itknown that I, THEODORE FIRME, a citizen of the United States, reslding at Tolleston, in the county of Lake and State of 7 cumulates and clogs the grates at the entrance of water ower fiumes.

Considerable trouble and expense at water-power plants is occasioned by the flume grates being clogged with large pieces of anchor ice, which often results in shutting down the plants for the purpose of clearing the grates. This is usually done by clearin the ice from the top of the grates by han the process being so slow that much time is lost by this operation.

The present invention aims to overcome these difficulties by providing a device located at the entrance of the flumes which will crush or break the ice into small pieces and direct them to the top of the water assing through the flume, where they may be removed if desired.

More specifically stated, the invention includes a plurality of spaced propeller blades located at the entrance of the flume in ad vance of the grate, so as to prevent the ice from reaching the said grate, the blades being so arranged as to direct the broken ice upward to the surface of the water.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating the application of the invention; and

*ig. 2 is a face view of the invention per 86.

In illustrating the application of the invention, there is shown a power house or shed A, in which there is ositioned a motor 15 used for driving the propeller blades hereinafter referred to. Grate bars C are located in their usual position at the entrance of the flume, the said grate bars being inclined and having their upper ends connected to the floor D of the power house or shed A.

Secured to the floor D is a frame 10, preferably of rectangular formation, the said frame being provided with a plurality of alined bearings 11, in which are mounted shafts 12. These shafts have secured thereto throughout their lengths, propeller shaped blades 13, the said blades being sufiiciently close together and of a proper length to practically occupy the entire space within the frame 10.

Mounted upon each of the shafts 12 is a gear lt and mounted upon shafts 15 carried by the frame 10 are idler gears 16, one of said gears being interposed between each of the gears 11 and meshing therewith, so that a rotation of one gear will operate the remaining gears to rotate all of the shafts. One of the shafts 12 has mounted upon its outer end a beveled gear 18, which is driven by a similar gear 19 mounted upon a shaft 20, the latter being secured in bearings carried by bracket plates 21 secured to the floor D of the house or shed A. Also mounted upon the shaft 20 is a pulley 22, which is driven by a belt 23, of the motor B as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. If desired a fly wheel 29 may also be mounted upon one of the shafts 12.

In the use of the invention, the frame is positioned beneath the water in advance of the grates C located at the entrance of the fiume. A rotation of the blade will crush the large pieces of anchor ice traveling in the direction of the grates, while the rotation of the propeller like blades will also serve to direct the broken pieces of ice upward toward the top of the water, where if desired, they may be removed.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is reserved to make such changes as are commensurate with the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The combination with a fiume and a vertically disposed deflector grate therein, of a plurality of substantially vertically arranged rotatable blades located in advance of the grate for breaking up anchor ice and means for rotating said blades.

2. The combination with a flume and a vertically disposed deflector grate therein,

of and carried by the grate and means for rotating the blades. said shafts, gearing connectin the shafts 4c. The combination With a flume and a and means for driving said gearlng to rotate 10 vertically disposed deflector grate therein, the blades. of a'frame adapted to be positioned trans- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. versely across the grate, a plurality of parallel shafts mounted for rotation in said THEODORE FIRME.

frame, laterally extending blades carried by Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

